Color film processing machine



Jan. 4, 1966 H. BAUMBACH COLOR FILM PROCESSING MACHINE Filed Jan. l0. 1961 H M B S mm1/ QJ IJ t1, M m I lllll IILIIIII. IIIIIIIIIII IIlP llllll IIJ l llllllllll IIP llllllllllll IIJ III m WH N R W B O 33d N N u T.. A Il $3.5 I2; I/EWII u u" H jmu 8 Im; H n od I|| Sou IIIHII R ma XE A H O @N w I'. Il'. .zmw s ma M Img n.1 653m Se@ Imis H od .H o@ mi M o5 Iv Iv X .v 2&6 z5@ .E E o m rw; H .GH ou Q H n od H Sou WHHMM s TIIJ llllllll II+ llllllll IIL I lllllllllllll Ill IIL.. II I I NX @M m r t l' Il Nv o Q nnm m ojm 562mm "w". 59m Il IIIIIIIL M l K om United States Patent O 3,227,060 COLOR FILM PROCESSING MACHINE Harlan Baumbach, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Panacolor, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Dela- Ware Filed Jan. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 81,855 2 Claims. (Cl. 95-89) This invention relates to apparatus for producing full color photographic prints from black and white colorseparation negatives. The apparatus is used in carrying out the processes described in the copending application of Leo Nicastro, .Serial No. 81,751, filed January 1.0, 1961, entitled Color Process. That process uses a positive film stock having a simple black and white silver halide emulsion. -There is only one layer and no color couplers are present. This film stock is exposed through one of three black :and White color-separation negatives. Simply stated and omitting the chemical details common to all color developing processes, the exposed film is then color developed using chemical steps to produce the first color which may comprise cyan. After washing and drying, the filmV strip is re-exposed through a second color separation negative, using great care to preserve registration. The film strip is then color developed and processed in a similar manner, this time producing magenta. The film strip is again exposed using the third color separation negative, carefully preserving registration, and is then color developed and processed as before to produce the yellow color. The particular color couplers used in the chemical treatment produce the particular color desired at each step.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel lay-out and arrangement of the three main banks of the machine, each including a printer, a developer section, a bleaching section and a dry box, in order to reduce the overall required length of the machine.

Another object is to provide a device of this type in which separate enclosure areas are employed to facilitate temperature and humidity control for corresponding sections of the three main banks of the machine.

Another object is to provide a device of this type in which the similar sections of the three main banks of the machine are grouped so as to reduce the number of personnel required for operation of the complete machine.

Other and more detailed objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

The drawing is diagrammatic in form and illustrates a preferred embodiment of this invention. As shown in the drawing, the machine includes three main banks designited A, B and C. -Eac-h of these banks includes a printing station designated 11, 12 and 13, respectively.

VAt each of these printing stations the film strip is exposed through a black and white color-separation negative 14, 15 and 16, respectively. In accordance with this invention the printing stations are all positioned within the same enclosure 17 and may be attended by a single operator.

The exposed film strip leaving the enclosure 16 enters the enclosure 18 for a color developing for the first color which may be cyan. Conventional color developing techniques and solutions may be employed although I prefer to employ a process using thix-otropic gel coatings for the film strip as disclosed in my copending application Serial N-o. 8.1,'854, filed January 10, 1961, entitled, Method of Using Gel Coatings for Chemical Processing of Color Film. The enclosure 18 also contains the developing sec-tions for the `color magenta as the film strip leaves the printing station 12, and for the color yellow as the film strip leaves the printing station 13.

Temperature and humidity within the enclosure 18 may be controlled for optimum developing conditions for all three colors.

Bleaching operations are carried on Within the enclosure 19 in order to remove any latent image remaining after color development. The bleaching operations may be carried out in any suitable or desirable manner although I prefer to use the thixotropic gel material applied asV a coating to the film strip, as set forth in my co-pending application identified above, and to carry out the bleaching steps in the manner set forth in detail in the Nicastro application identified above. The temperature and humidity within the enclosure 19 may be different from that maintained within the enclosure 18. In particular,

`a higher temperature may be employed within the en- .advantages in controlling exposure penetration as well as minimizing objectionable scatter. The dye stations 20 and 21 are accordingly located in the cyan bank A and the magenta bank B. The other dye station 22 is not located in one of the three main banks of the machine but it is located adjacent the dye stations 20 and 21 for convenience in operation and servicing. All of these dye stations may or may not be mounted within this same enclosure.

The dry box enclosure 23 includes three dry box stations 24, 25 and 26 which are part of the three main banks A, B and C. The enclosure 23 also includes the dry box station 27 through which the film strip 10 passes prior to entering the rst printing station 11. The common enclosure 23 for the four dry box stations facili-ties contro-l of temperature and humidity.

In operation, the film stock 1t? from the stock supply 30 passes through the splicer station 31, elevator 32 and into the first dye station 22. It then enters the enclosure 23 and passes through the first day dry box station 27. The film strip 1t? then enters the cyan bank A of the machine and passes through the enclosures 17, 1S, 19 through the dye station 20, and through the dry box 24 within the enclosure 23. The film strip then passes through the same sequence of operations in the magenta bank A and the yellow bank C. T-he bank C omits any yellow dye station following passage of the film strip through the bleach-treating enclosure 19.

The film strip emerging from the dry box station 25 may pass through suitable printing apparatus (not shown) for applying an optical sound track to the film strip. In this instance, the bleach coating applied in the yellow bank C is applied to less than the full Width of the film strip in order that the optical sound track may be printed in the space on the film strip untreated by chemical bleaching action.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope Iof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for making a full color photographic print using a plurality of color-separation negatives, the combination comprising a machine having a plurality of film treating tanks, said tanks being disposed in a plurality of parallel rows, each of said rows having a first end and a second end, said first ends being adjacent to each ot-her and said second ends being adjacent to each other, each rowl having a printing stationnear the irstY end thereof for exposing said iilm strip through one of said color-separation negatives, each ,row also having a color-developing station for saidl exposed il'm strip for one color, each row also having a dry box station near the secondy end thereof; each of said printing stations being located' adjacent to each other, each of said color also having a bleaching station for sai-d color developed developing stations being located adjacentto each other and each of said dry box stations being located adjacent to each other, saidv printing stations being provided with a common'encl-osure which isolates the printing stations as a` group lfrom the remainder of the device, said color Y developing stationsk being provided with a common enclosure which isolatesl the color developing stations as y a group from the remainderof the device and the dry box stations being provided with a common enclosure which isolates the dry box stations as a group from the remainder of the device, each of said enclosures being provided withv means for controlling the temperature and humidity therein.

V2. In a device for making a full color photographic Aprint using three-color separation` negatives, the combinat-ion comprising a machine havingV a plurality of iilm processing tanks, said tanks being disposed in three parallel rows, each row having a rst end and a second end, said iirst ends being'V adjacent to each other and said second ends being adjacent to each other, each row having a printing station near the firsty end thereof for exposing said; filmv strip through oneof said color-separation negatives, each row also having a color-developing station for said exposed lm strip for one color,z each row stations as/a group from the remainder of saiddevice,

and a common enclosure for said dry box stations which isolate saidl dry box stations as a group from the remainder of said device, each of saidv enclosures being provided with means for controlling. the temperature and humidity therein, two of said rows being provided with means for transmitting the film from the second end of the row tothe rst end of. an adjacent row.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNI-TEDL s-rArEs PATENTSl 1,996,768 V4/1935- Ingman 95- 94 2,330,796L 10/1943: Eemnes 95-94 X 3,076,401 2/1963I YDieterich 95-94 JoHN M. HoRAN, Primary Examiner. D. B'. LOWE, EML G. ANDERSON, ExaminerS. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR MAKING A FULL COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT USING A PLURALITY OF COLOR-SEPARATION NEGATIVES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF FILM TREATING TANK, SAID TANKS BEING DISPOSED IN A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ROWS, EACH OF SAID ROWS HAVING A FIRST END AND A SECOND END, SAID FIRST ENDS BEING ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER AND SAID SECOND ENDS BEING ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER, EACH ROW HAVING A PRINTING STATION NEAR THE FIRST END THEREOF FOR EXPOSING SAID FILM STRIP THROUGH ONE OF SAID COLOR-SEPARATION NEGATIVES, EACH ROW ALSO HAVING A COLOR-DEVELOPING STATION FOR SAID EXPOSED FILM STRIP FOR ONE COLOR, EACH ROW ALSO HAVING A DRY BOX STATION NEAR THE SECOND END THEREOF; EACH OF SAID PRINTING STATIONS BEING LOCATED ADJACENT TO EACH OTHE, EACH OF SAID COLOR DEVELOPING STATIONS BEING LOCATED ADJACENT TO EACH OTHE AND EACH OF SAID DRY BOX STATIONS BEING LOCATED ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER, SAID PRINTING STATIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH A COMMON ENCLOSURE WHICH ISOLATES THE PRINTING STATIONS AS A GROUP FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE DEVICE, SAID COLOR 